Dubinsky in? Grachev sent down

I guess this means Brandon Dubinsky has the green light tonight. Evgeny Grachev was just assigned to Connecticut. That leaves only 11 other healthy forwards, plus Dubinsky.

Here’s the announcement from the Rangers:

NEW YORK RANGERS TRANSACTION UPDATE

New York, February 1, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Evgeny Grachev has been assigned to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Grachev, 20, has skated in eight games with the Rangers this season, making his NHL debut vs. Carolina on October 29. He returns to Connecticut where he has registered 13 goals and six assists for 19 points, along with 12 penalty minutes and a plus-eight rating in 42 games this season. He registered one goal in a 4-2 loss vs. Manchester on Friday, marking his fourth consecutive AHL game with a goal (seven goals) and fifth straight game with a point (seven goals, one assist) dating back to January 15 vs. Providence. He is tied for second on the team in goals, while his plus-eight rating leads all team forwards and ranks second on the Whale. He is also tied for fifth on the team with three power play goals. Grachev registered his first professional hat trick in a 5-1 win at Springfield on January 22.

The Khabarovsk, Russia native was originally the Rangers’ third round selection, 75th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Even though the whole team was off for almost a week that’s a couple of big minutes players all returning tonight after lengthy layoffs. Wonder how much rust there’s going to be. Still no excuse not to take tonight’s game.

I think they should have sat him for another game or two, guess he disagrees. Anyways, great to have Cally and Dubi back in the lineup for tonights game against Pittsbjorn! I hate that team, so do they, beat em.

I really hope that Dubinsky is not rushing back, whether by himself or by the Rangers. It’s a stupid move if he is. It’s not like Jaromir Jagr. Jagr playing at 40% health is more productive than every other NHLers at 100% health.

I agree that it’s a totally dumb move if he rushes himself back and he’s not ready. But if he’s cleared by all the doctors and trainers and there’s no danger to him coming back and he feels fine, then why not play him? Plus, as he pointed out yesterday, it’s probably going to be an easier transition with everybody a little rusty after the break, than trying to jump onto a speeding train later on.

With Dubinsky’s injury too we have to remember that it was something that bothered him, but he was playing with. They said if this were the playoffs he wouldn’t miss a game.

I’m not worried about Dubinsky being able to play tonight or next game… I”m sure he’s more than capable to play his game… I am worried about what they’re going to do about this problem going forward… I really hope this doesn’t turn into a reoccuring problem down the road…

CCCP,
Congratulations! Don’t listen to anyone. Patience is a virtue. Papers itself means nothing for feelings, but potentialy could become an iron bear’s trap, much worse than played by Debbies. Live at the full capacity and be happy!

How can the Lightning play at home for almost the entire month of February? It’s not like they have some crazy long road trip forced by the circus or something to make up for it since their longest road trip is four games (three times). http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=551277

The Devils were going to have a tough time signing Parise anyway. They have something like $50M next year tied up in 14 players. They could decide to Redden a couple of guys like Colin White and Salvador, but half of their D is due to become a FA so they can’t waive everyone back there. They have no backup signed for next year. Throwing half of their off season cap space at Parise would mean they’ll have to skim on the rest of the team or trade off their vets at probably a steep discount.

Ill hope for you too, Gab! But, Id hope you wouldnt retire early. The NYPD needs caring and trustworthy people like you!

wicky – Im happy as long my wicksters are happy! :)

Watching the Steelers media day, Im really impressed with Big Ben’s maturity and how he’s grown up over the past year as a person.

Also wondering if any of the Steelers are thanking the lucky stars that they did not have to face New England in the AFC CG. Because they all should know that they’ll never beat – or even compete against – N.E. in a game of importance.

yep roethlisberger has really grown up as a person. after raping 2 women(possibly) he has seen the light. at a minimum he had sex during working hours in a restauarant/bar with his bodyguard out in front making sure no one came in…benny boy did not dispute what occured only that it was consensual………

to prove how much he has matured and of course found the lord, allow him to date your daughter. … he is a animal, maybe well spoken but a caveman animal. he touched my daughter I would kill that animal…….

stuart – okay, then. you’re no less of “animal” if you’re talking about killing someone. People make mistakes and make poor decisions. Dont forget the word “alleged.” Let the law do its job, and let the guy grow up from his mistakes. Id let Ben date my daughter, if he actually desired to beat the Patriots. Id be much more concerned about his desire in a game against the Patriots than how he’d treat my hypothetical daughter.

Just checked back in to see that I was Carped. This is the second time I’ve been Carped by a simultaneous post in the last couple of months.
Glad to see Dubi is also back and am interested to see the line combos tonight. Assuming Dubi and Cally on one line, Prust and Boyle toghether, Gabby and Avery as well. Where do AA and Step play and who will Wolsky and Zuke be with? Very interesting.

oleo, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dubinsky starts out a little more lightly on the 4th line. He hasn’t been skating for very long and probably needs to get himself into game shape a bit. It’s not like Callahan who has been skating for a month.

oleo, I’m not saying limited in terms of injury, I’m saying limited in terms of fitness. Everybody else is in better game shape right now as a result of Dubinsky not skating for a couple of weeks. Maybe not 4th line, but I can easily see him playing under 15 minutes tonight.

3 more games vs the Flyers
3 more vs the Pens
2 more vs the B’s
2 more vs the Habs
1 more vs the Bolts
1 more vs the Caps

Where they are now it shouldn’t take much better than a .500 record (say 33 of 60 points) to get into the playoffs.

Those above games represent 24 points, if they can get 14 or 15 of those 24 points, that means another 18 or 19 points in 18 games with match ups such as
2 vs the Isles
3 vs the Devils
1 vs the Panthers
2 vs the Sabres
2 vs the Sens

That’s another 20 points up for grabs. 13 or 14 points from that means another 5 or so points from their 8 remaining games.

Grabbing 4 points tonight and Thursday are a must because they could potentially get 0 points from their next two games vs Detroit and Montreal.

I cannot disagree with ESPN there b/c you cannot win the stanley cup without multiple offensive weapons and this season the Rangers only have 1 (maybe 2 if Dubinsky returns to the way he played from October to December).

That said the only teams that we can’t beat in 7 game series are Philly and Pittsburgh and if we manage to finish 6th or 7th, I think there is a very good chance we can and will beat Boston, Washington and especially Tampa Bay.

you are the one who sounds foolish now. Did you even read what they wrote or are you just going to spew garbage without even reading. All three gave completely legitimate reasons and I will post them for you b/c clearly you didnt even bother reading what they wrote

“Still, without a top center and an inexperienced blue line, we don’t see this Rangers squad as a contender. Not yet, anyway”.

“At this point, I see them more as a sleeper that will give an opponent a tough time. I just don’t think they have enough to be considered a true contender … yet. But they’re getting there”.

“But a Stanley Cup championship is out of reach this season because goals are too hard to come by without a bona fide No. 1 center”.

Dubi is definitely back, eh? I guess he was fully cleared by doctors. Someone mentioned the risk of more serious injury…It’s not about that at all. Stress fractures are unlikely to create serious complications and such. Funny, but it is actually only pain. The problem is, if it’s not fully healed, the pain will come back. And he doesn’t want to be in pain (that will limit his skating and pivoting with the puck) right around playoffs.

Tiki, they’ve had Lundqvist every year in the playoffs and that hasn’t gotten them past the 2nd round. The post lockout era has seen a migration toward deep teams in front of above average (but not great) goaltending do very well, especially last year’s final.

If all things were equal up front and on D, then yes Lundqvist gives them an edge. But Lundqvist couldn’t make up for a pop gun offense against Washington in 2009 and certainly won’t make up for the disparity in talent vs the Flyers or a fully healthy Pens this year. I do have a strong belief he’ll get a shot at a Cup, but not this year and most likely not next year either.

I have to back NYR_ FAN and Noah on Buccigrosss here. He really knows the sport and loves it. I got the privilege to interview him on the radio when the league was coming back from the lockout and he was very gracious and knowledgeable about the whole thing. When I contacted him via email, from this tiny station in VT, about being on the air, he readily agreed and sent me his phone number to contact him on the day of the interview. He didn’t pick up when I called, but called back within 10 minutes and spent a good 20 minutes with us. Couldn’t have been a nicer or more entertaining interview.

I disagree strongly, Doodie. When your team has nearly comparable skill to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finalist Flyers, and you have the best goalie on the planet, you’re always a contender. Bottom line. Id love it if Henrik carried us on his back to the Cup this year and shoved it in all of your disbelieving faces!!

This blog has been saying for awhile- we are not contending this year. And that’s the reason not to start trading away our young talent. The next year is highly unlikely too. Richards, McCabe, etc. isn’t changing it

I think Im gonna leave the subject alone; obviously nobody is going to agree with me. But Buccidisgusting is at the top of my all-time ESPN despise list along with Bill Simmons and Peter Gammons. Wouldnt know the meaning of the word “professional” if it was tattooed on his forehead! :)

I think the Flyers should go very hard after Iginla. They are ready this year. He gives them an edge over anyone else. Their weakness remains the goaltending, but he brings exactly what may be enough. Plus he knows most of the WC teams better than they do, and he is very hungry. He’ll be good for them. I also hope the give up an arm and a leg..

I dont use the “game 82” crap as others do. So the Flyers have 30 goals more scored than us this season……..they DO NOT have reliable goaltending as we do. What do they have on their team that we don’t have?? A Power Play. What will it take for the Rangers to have a successful Power Play? Simply coaching and concepts.

Whatever difference in skill there is between the Flyers and the Rangers is more than made up by the presence of Lundqvist. Bottom line.

Flyers were a MUCH deeper team. Carter, Richards, Briere, Gagne, Giroux, Van Reimsdyk, Their D was solid, and Pronger (as much of a bastid i think he is) is a shut down D man. 10 players on their roster with double digit goals, two 30+ goal scorers.

Oleo, it was the New Jersey Devils, and damn you for making me type that.

Has anyone considered that the best thing for our team might be to make a deep 2/3 round playoff run and lose? Can you imagine if we did that with our young talent? Wouldn’t that turn us from a young hard working bunch of unknowns into a hungry team with proven talent?

Didn’t that happen to the Pens, the Blackhawks, the Ducks, the Canes, and nearly every recent cup winner except Detroit?

Isn’t that why there are such high expectations on Vancouver, Philadelphia, and Montreal?

I never knew I could drive like that. I was going faster than I’ve ever gone before and yet, it all seemed to be happening in slow motion. I was seeing three and four moves ahead, weaving in and out of lanes like an Olympic skier on a gold meal run. I knew I was challenging the very laws of physics. At Queens Boulevard, I took the shoulder. At Jewel Avenue, I used the median. I had it. I was there…and then…I hit the Van Wyck

Also their defensive is much more mobile and experienced. They have a couple of shooters from the blueline, a true shutdown Dman and a power play quarterback. And Goals already described their offense.

The 2000 Devils were the 2nd highest scoring team in the league that year, not to mention two HOF D in Stevens and Niedermayer and Rafalski as their 3rd D, they didn’t have a star scorer per se, but they were a deep team. Ditto for their 2003 team.

Being a Ranger fan doesn’t mean being blind to the fact that a team that has taken 3 out of 3 games from them so far and has 10 more points in two less games played and that’s scoring 0.60 more goals a game (something which a stronger Rangers PP would not account for) is better than the Rangers this year.

Even if I concede the Rangers have statistically a better D than the Flyers and even if you want to attribute that to Lundqvist, being a deeper and more productive offensive team gives the Flyers a decided advantage. Head to head and against the rest of the league records prove that.

ESPN sucks when it comes to hockey. they hate it,and don’t cover it. They had a 1-year option to continue telecasting NHL games coming out of the lockout, and they declined the option. The few on-camera people who do like hockey who have worked there over the years have said that the bosses there are hockey-haters who consider hockey nothing more than time-filler material.

the only team in the history of the NHL to win a Stanley Cup without a tremendous offensive team was the 2002-03 NJ Devils. However they had 2 Hall of Fame skaters on their team Scott Stevens, and Joe Nieuwendyk and their neutral zone trap was so good that the NHL changed the way the game was officiated as a result. Also they had Brodeur, who is arguably the best goalie that ever lived.